• In a statement on Wednesday, the Morticians and Allied Professionals of Kenya (MAPAKe) condemned the IG's remarks saying they were below his office.
• They said their operations are governed by ethics, chief among them respect of the confidentiality of the deceased, feelings and the right for the deceased to mourn.
Image: FILE
Morticians have challenged Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome to name those implicated in the alleged hiring of corpses during anti-government protests or withdraw the remarks.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Morticians and Allied Professionals of Kenya (MAPAKe) condemned the IG's remarks saying they were below his office.
"We condemn the statement made by the Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome because we believe that no mortuary technician in the Kenya today can even attempt to do such a thing. The office of the Inspector General is such a respected office to even attempt to lower it to such imaginable actions," MAPAKe said.
They said they serve all Kenyans regardless of tribe, religion, race, class or political affiliation are find it unfair for the IG to tag them into matters they are less concerned with.
On Tuesday, Koome absolved police from blame over alleged extrajudicial killings during anti-government protests in mid-July saying the opposition hired dead bodies from morgues and blamed police for shooting protesters.
The protests were called by the Azimio coalition from July 19-21 over the rising cost of living and high taxes.
"...and the information I have is they go to some of the mortuaries compromise the workers there, people who even died of some illness, people who died maybe out of an accident or other causes, they take photographs of such bodies and blame on the police," Koome said during a visit to the Kiganjo Police Training College in Nyeri county.
But the morticians' association dismissed the claims saying their operations are governed by ethics, chief among them respect for the confidentiality of the deceased, feelings and the right for the deceased to mourn their loved ones in peace.
They said contrary to misplaced belief, mortuary technicians are trained and registered by the Kenya Health Professions Oversight Authority (KHPOA) and are no longer rogue, careless, dirty, drunk, reckless and uneducated individuals.
"Mortuary technicians operate within and observe the laws of Kenya in all our practice. We, however, don't have control with what happens with our clients once they are out of our custody.
"The purpose of this press release therefore, is to demand the Inspector General to furnish both Kenya Health Professions Oversight Authority and Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board, the two registering, regulating and licencing bodies of mortuary technicians and the mortuaries facilities respectively the particulars of those implicated for investigation," MAPAKe said.
The group said appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against anyone found culpable from the resultant investigations.
"Failure to do so, the Inspector General should withdraw his remarks against the facilities as he put it and mortuary technicians as he also put it in his statement."